investigar

Senses

1. 1.

   to investigate

   to examine or inquire into something systematically, especially a crime or problem

2. 2.

   to research

   to conduct academic or scientific study on a topic

3. 3.

   to look into

   to inquire about or seek information on something

Examples

• "A polícia está investigando o roubo que ocorreu ontem à noite."

  The police are investigating the robbery that occurred last night.

• "Ela investigou a história do bairro para sua tese de mestrado."

  She researched the history of the neighborhood for her master's thesis.

• "Precisamos investigar por que as vendas caíram este mês."

  We need to look into why sales dropped this month.

Usage

Investigar is a common, neutral verb used in both formal and informal contexts. It often collocates with crime/police matters but is equally valid for academic research and general inquiry. False cognate with English "investigate" in register-investigar is somewhat more formal in Portuguese than its English equivalent.